Innocence
by Aiden Skywalker
Summary: Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn finds himself in a frustrating predicament when Dooku goes on a mission and he is left to babysit younglings in his masters' leave. Recruiting his friend Tahl to help, he finds that this responsibility may be more than he can handle.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: Dear George Lucas, while you will probably never read this lovely little note, I was wondering if you would be okay with me owning Star Wars from now on. No? Didn't think so. Just thought I'd ask. Thanks anyway. You heard it people. I just write for fun. No point in throwing any hissy fits._**

_Authors Note: First off, I would just like to dedicate this story to _Cattiechaos_ for the extremely appreciated review she gave me on another one of my stories. It's fans like you that make writing worth as much as it is to me. Secondly, while I have already written ways that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon meet, I like to play around with the idea. So, here is another way I'd like to believe they met._

_~ Aiden Skywalker_

The sound of water flowing filled the grand expanse of the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Being the largest of the gardens located on the grounds of the Jedi Temple, it was a place many a Jedi found solitude from the stresses of their lives. Some Jedi Padawan's came to the garden to study, and while Qui-Gon Jinn tended to prefer the Archives, today he was in the gardens for another reason entirely. Dooku, being the ever non-present master that he was, had summoned his apprentice to meet him in the sanctuary, and Qui-Gon, being the ever punctual Padawan he was, came to the predetermined meeting spot early.

The student took the time that he had alone to appreciate the flora and fauna that populated the room. While everything in the room was imported or otherwise relocated to said spot, the padawan often had to remind himself that the nature he saw wasn't as natural as it seemed. It was always easy to forget that this room had been created to make its patrons feel as though they were off planet and far away from the city life outside the Temple. With faux waterfalls and streams that were created by systems of pumps and piping, it was hard to believe one really wasn't on a planet without an ecosystem.

Any other student would find themselves lost in the beauty of the garden around them, but Qui-Gon was fully aware when he sensed his master come in from the South entrance. Seated on a bench near the North-side waterfall, Qui-Gon's back was to his master when he finally approached. Not bothering to turn around, Qui-Gon waited for his master to address him. And as always, Dooku would simply stand there as if not aware of his apprentices presence at all.

Qui-Gon hated the game that Dooku would play with him, mostly because it was a training exercise that Qui-Gon could never seem to get a hold of; if it was a game at all. The boy never seemed to understand why his master did half of what he did. However, assuming it was another one of his mentors odd teaching techniques, Qui-Gon simply played along. Assuming it was a game in patience or something of the like, Qui-Gon simply waited for his master to address him.

Sometimes the game would go on to the point where he would forget about his masters presence and just enjoy the garden. Other times Qui-Gon wondered if Dooku expected him to fail, that he would get frustrated and turn-around before his master acknowledged his presence. If only his master would choose a place that the boy wasn't so at peace. It was hard to get impatient when he was in a place that felt so alive. Everything in the garden called to him, from the grass at his feet to the moss on the rocks, everything had its own voice, and they all called out in unison.

While Dooku had never verbally expressed it, Qui-Gon knew that his master never really cared for nature. The boy often wondered if his master would call him to such a place because he knew how Qui-Gon felt. Then again, it was always hard to know what Dooku picked up on, and that of which he simply ignored. Already used to the idea that his master wasn't a very involved mentor, Qui-Gon could accept that Dooku simply didn't care. Or at least that's how he seemed. Dooku didn't seem to care about anything.

Qui-Gon's mind continued to wander until his masters voice pulled him back to the present.

"The council is sending me on a mission off planet, Padawan."

Another thing the boy never understood. His master would always state facts and leave nowhere for Qui-Gon to comment. So, Qui-Gon prodded his master.

"Where to?"

"No where important."

Of course. Another dead end.

"I see."

"I have decided that while in my leave, you would need something to preoccupy your time here."

"And that something would be?"

"How do you feel about younglings, Padawan?"

Like Dooku really cared. Suddenly Qui-Gon's stomach dropped. While Qui-Gon thought to ask why his master wanted to know, the boy knew better than to avoid his mentors questions. He took a moment to pause and think of a respectable answer, only because he knew that his master wasn't curious as to his actual opinion.

"Younglings are the next generation of Jedi. They are important to the future safety of the Republic."

"Good, then you won't mind taking crèche duty for a week, now will you?"

It was all Qui-Gon could do to keep himself from psychically grimacing.

"No, master," the apprentice paused, "It would be an honor," he added begrudgingly.

Standing up to finally face his master, Qui-Gon turned around and bowed from his waist, only to be met by the slight decline of his masters head before his master pivoted and turned away. How Qui-Gon didn't sense that his master would be baring bad news, the boy wasn't entirely sure.


	2. Chapter 2

Dooku sighed and shook his head as he exited the Room of A Thousand Fountains. Traversing his way into the quiet hallway, he reviewed the meeting he had with his padawan. The boy was always so at peace with himself, and he had a connection to the living Force that Dooku couldn't even begin to understand. Then again, there were many things about Qui-Gon that were beyond his understanding. The boy was just different, and yet that was one of the many reasons why Dooku had agreed to mentor him in the first place.

There were many Jedi Knights and Masters who took on students who were similar in personality. However, Dooku was never one to consider himself among the majority. Sometimes, it seemed better to not always see eye to eye, especially with the Council. Dooku had always found himself at odds with the council, even if he was close to their Grand Master, Yoda. In an attempt to settle his thoughts about his upcoming mission, the Knight headed his way to where he expected to find the wrinkly old troll; another garden.

Half expecting the toad to be meditating, Dooku was surprised to see the master leaning over a bush of some exotic flower and taking in a delicate whiff.

"The most common of scents; bring about the most powerful of memories, they can."

As usual, Dooku was greeted by a riddle, spoken in the green trolls' weird backwards speech.

While the Knight bit back his desire to make some comment nasty comment, Dooku simply nodded in response. He waited for Yoda to right himself before bowing to his elder and waiting for a better conversation starter.

"Need something, do you, Dooku?"

"No Master, I simply wanted to seek your company before I left tomorrow."

"Ah, much on your mind I sense."

Dooku began to pace around the garden, tucking his arms behind his back and lifting his head to the sky before sighing deeply. Slowly coming to a stop, he turned around to face Yoda before lowering his head.

"You know how I feel about returning to Serreno, Master."

"An obligation it is for you Dooku, yet an important one indeed."

Sighing again, Dooku looked to the flowers Yoda had been admiring; roses. One of the many things the Knight secretly missed about his home planet. While it may have been a political obligation to return to Serreno, seeing as he was a Count, there were often times that Dooku wished that he could leave that planet behind. Unlike other Jedi, the man still kept ties with his home planet, let alone knew which one it was. Most Jedi were taken from their homes at a very young age, left to only wonder where they came from. However, Dooku knew the truth; one was better off not knowing.

The young man had always had distaste for politics, and yet it was what he knew best, next to sword fighting. Raised in a well bred family, it was only typical that he was ingrained with the intricacies of politics from a young age, and since it was his birth right, there wasn't room for him to simply decline his duty.

Yoda's voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Told Qui-Gon of your departure, you have."

Dooku didn't fail to notice that it wasn't a question.

"Yes, Master. I just informed him."

"Feel, how does he?"

A rare smile played across Dooku's lips.

"Exactly how I knew he'd feel, not happy at all. He'll come around though."

Yoda chuckled softly, "A lesson, you have in mind?"

"Something like that."

* * *

Qui-Gon left the gardens feeling like he normally did after he had a meeting with Dooku; confused. It wasn't like his master to simply leave him behind on something as important as a mission, and yet the boy had learned that it was often futile to question his masters reasoning. Although, he assumed that if it were truly important for him to be 'in the know', his master wouldn't exclude him, even if his master was being suspicious. Qui-Gon simply would have been happier had Dooku simply left him to his own imagination. It's not like the boy wouldn't have anything to do in his masters leave, but since Dooku had already arranged his fate, he wasn't about to tamper with it.

Qui-Gon never hated younglings; he just never had any reason to like them. Even as a youngling himself, Qui-Gon wasn't very social. He could understand their importance as the legacy of the Jedi, but Qui-Gon just wasn't fond of them. Younglings were always so impatient, restless and just all around obnoxious. While the boy tried to have patience with them, he never understood how Master Yoda could spend all his time around them.

The ancient being just adored younglings. Perhaps it was their innocence, or their constant desire to learn everything about the world around them, but whatever it was, Qui-Gon just couldn't force himself to see them the same. Then again, it's not like the boy could honestly say he had ever spent much time around younglings in the first place. Whether or not it was because he never really had to until now, Qui-Gon wasn't sure. But one thing he was positive about, he had no desire to be around them now. He decided to seek out the counsel of his friend Tahl. She always seemed to be good with younglings.

* * *

Just as he was about to raise his hand to rap his knuckles against his friends door, Qui-Gon stepped back as the door was activated from the inside. The door swished open, and to his confusion, Tahl wasn't standing in the doorway to receive him. Although he had been friends with Tahl for years, the boy was still hesitant to let himself into her quarters. Leaning his head in, just slightly, Qui-Gon looked around his friends living space, with no Tahl to be found. He knew she had to be in there, her Force signature resonated inside, but where she was exactly, he couldn't pin point. Shuffling noises perked up his ears, causing Qui-Gon to subconsciously attune himself to the Force in attempt to figure out what she was doing.

He sensed her in her room and was about to call out to her before she finally spoke up.

"What do you need Qui-Gon? I'm kind of busy at the moment."

Tahl almost seemed out of breath as he heard a drawer close and then watched as his friend crossed from her room to a small refresher across the hall.

"I can come back if this is a bad time," Qui-Gon responded.

Another series of rustling noises came from the 'fresher room before Tahl headed for the kitchenette and sighed.

"You can let yourself in you know; we've only been friends for like, what? Forever?"

Qui-Gon chuckled softly before walking in, and sitting down on her couch before the door swished closed behind him.

"That doesn't excuse me from expending my manners, now does it?"

Tahl stopped in the middle of washing a piece of fruit off, "Actually," she paused to take a bite, then continued with her mouth full, "It does."

The grin on Tahls face before she took another bite only made Qui-Gon smile in return. While she came off a little rough around the edges, Tahl never ceased to amuse him. She was her own dominant person who never seemed to care what others thought of her; something the boy only envied himself. Continuing to take bites of the fruit, Tahl walked over to where Qui-Gon was sitting and threw herself over the side of the couch, only to have her feet land in his lap. She looked so perfect with the way she reclined, nonchalantly chewing, with her arm casually slung over the back of the couch.

"So, what did you need Qui?"

Forcing himself to remember the reason he came over to visit her in the first place, Qui-Gon realized that he never really needed an excuse to see his friend. However, this time he had a specific reason.

"Dooku is leaving tomorrow on a secret mission I don't know about, and he left me to serve crèche duty."

"Secret mission, eh? Sounds important. Doesn't surprise me at all that he would leave you, his padawan of all people, behind."

Sighing softly, Qui-Gon crossed his arms behind his head and reclined back against the couch. He didn't fail to notice Tahls feet still propped on his knees as he shifted his weight back farther into the couch.

"Do you have any advice?"

"Demand he takes you with him."

The serious expression Tahl had on her face made Qui-Gon's face contort in confusion before he realized she was joking. While he didn't always catch on as quickly as he would like, Qui-Gon loved her sense of humor. Eventually a grin spread out becomingly across her face before Tahl began to laugh.

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon tried to get her back on track, "I meant about the younglings."

"I know, I know. I just love to see that surprised look on your face. It's very funny."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

"You're just so serious, Qui-Gon. You need to lighten up."

"Tell that to my master."

Silence fell between them as they both realized there wasn't really anything to say. There was a moment of comfortable silence before Tahl got up to throw away the core of her fruit. On her way back to sit down, she brought up the subject of why he was here.

"So what about this youngling business again?"

Qui-Gon watched as Tahl sat down and propped her legs against his again. With her arms set akimbo, he could tell that she was ready for business.

"I don't know. You just seem to be good with them."

Tahl stopped and looked as though she was trying to find the right way to say what she was thinking. She bit her lip a bit before she finally responded.

"You know Qui, younglings are funny. Either they like you or they don't. It's almost as if there is something they can sense about you, something that adults don't feel, that allows them to decide if they like you or not."

"How do I get them to like me then?" Qui-Gon asked as he shifted his weight to rest his elbows on his knees.

"You don't."

The way she said it seemed as though she thought it was so simple.

"That's not very helpful. Look, why don't you just come with me?"

"Qui-Gon, you're supposed to be there to babysit the younglings, not have me there to babysit you."

Smiling as her eyebrow quirked up, Qui-Gon gently pushed her legs off his as he stood up.

"Please? Community service always looks good on your record."

That made Tahl laugh, "Being a Jedi _is_ community service, Qui."

"Please?"

The desperation on his face finally caused Tahl to give in. She couldn't have him looking so pathetic. Standing up, Tahl pouted and put her hands on her hips, a move that only made Qui-Gon smile.

"_Fine_. But you owe me Qui-Gon."

"Of course."

Tahl couldn't help but laugh before she suddenly started physically shoving Qui-Gon out the door.

"Now leave before I change my mind!"

Before Qui-Gon could respond, she shut the door in his face, leaving Qui-Gon alone in the hallway. He shook his head before he headed back to his own quarters. How he loved that girl.

* * *

Authors Note: In case this chapter didn't make it obvious; this story is definitely not going to be a one shot. While you might have to be patient with me, I plan on putting a lot of time into this story. While I love writing in this time era just for the fun of it, I also hope that the characters I'm using will give me the chance to challenge myself. Please leave comments and let me what you think of the relationships I'm trying to show between these characters. Thank you!

~ Aiden Skywalker


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Note: I sincerely apologize for the fact that I have been lazy lately. The only reason why I am sorry is because I started school today, which means that now I have a life. I signed up for College Writing class, which requires me to write a killer 'want-to-slowly-steal-my-soul' essay every 2 weeks. So, the likely-hood of me updating anytime soon is well, very unlikely. Once again, I do apologize for being the bearer of bad news, and I promise to try to keep working on this story throughout the school year. No getting impatient with me, okay? And yes, I do realize I was a bad person and left you with a tad bit of a cliff hanger. At least I admit it.

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

Standing in the currently enclosed hangar bay, Qui-Gon waited patiently as he observed his master climbing into his transport. In all honesty, Qui-Gon really didn't care to be here, in this moment, but to his chagrin, it was his duty as a padawan to see his master off to his mission safely. While he should have been focusing on the statistics his master was reading off to him, Qui-gon was more than slightly pre-occupied by the thought of his own mission later. Assuming everything he didn't hear was in order, Qui-Gon gave Dooku clearance before wishing his master farewell. Few words of habit more than actual meaning were exchanged and then he was left to watch as Dooku maneuvered his ship out of the now open hangar bay doors. Qui-Gon waited a second just for good measure before he departed from the hangar bay in a bee-line to Tahl's residence.

Qui-Gon had walked this path so many times that he really wasn't paying attention as he walked his way through the always crowded halls. Head bowed and eyes concentrated on the floor, Qui-Gon continued to mull over the idea of taking care of children before he finally decided just to get it done and over with; it wasn't as if he could just abandon his obligation and forget about the whole thing. Even if he could, he was already at Tahl's door, and before he knew it, he was already subconsciously knocking on her door. He pulled back his hand just as she opened the door with an exasperated sigh.

"I thought I told you I was going to meet you there!"

"Nice to see you too, Tahl."

She backed away from the door frame, just enough to let him in, as Qui-Gon slid past her and walked straight to the nearest window.

"What part of, 'I'll see you there at 9:00', didn't you understand?"

Pondering the conversation they had had in one of the gardens the night before, Qui-Gon specifically remembered hearing her say that. However, that had nothing to do with why he was here anyway.

"It's a nice day today, such a shame to be stuck inside."

Tahl let out a puff of air as she glared at the impassive reflection of Qui-Gon's face in the transperisteel window. Not only did it frustrate Tahl that he seemed to be avoiding her demands, but she also hated it when he stood with his back to her and his eyes fixed anywhere but hers.

"Qui-Gon, are you even listening to me?"

The incredulous tone Tahl held in her voice made Qui-Gon's lip quirk up into a beginning of a smile. More than anything else, Qui-Gon just loved to aggravate his long time friend. It was simple, yet satisfying.

"Hmm?"

Qui-Gon turned around, now with a fully fledged grin on his face, as he set his arms akimbo on his chest. Raising one eyebrow, as Tahl so often did, Qui-Gon watched as her lips formed that little pout he always strived to see. Before he knew it, Tahl smacked him on the shoulder.

"You jerk!"

Qui-Gon let out a deep chuckle as Tahl only seemed to get more frustrated with him. He just couldn't help it; Tahl always looked so cute when she was angry. Setting her arms to mirror his, Tahl's eyebrows scrunched together as she debated whether or not to hit him again.

"What am I going to do with you, Qui?"

Tahl shook her head and lowered her arms as she began to walk towards her room to grab her cloak. Qui-Gon couldn't help but watch her from behind.

"Hold on to me and promise to never let go," Qui-Gon whispered under his breath.

Tahl's face dropped before she paused in mid stride and pivoted to face Qui-Gon, "What did you say?"

Qui-Gon lifted his eyes to meet her gaze, "Oh nothing, just talking to myself."

" 'Cause, I could have sworn I heard you say…"

Qui-Gon cut her off, "Nothing. I was just admiring the view."

Smirking, Tahl turned her back and kept walking, "You enjoy that view while it lasts," she said over her shoulder.

_Trust me. _Qui-Gon thought deviously. _I am._

_

* * *

_As they walked from her room to one of the many crèches located within the Temple, Tahl couldn't help but think about what she had thought Qui-Gon had said. While she knew that he had had a crush on her since they met, over the years, Tahl somehow managed to not notice how serious they had been getting. Normally Qui-Gon was a very chivalrous, quiet, and unassuming young man. However, whenever he was around her, he seemed to have a courage and defiance that he didn't dare show around anyone else. There was a part of his hidden personality that made Tahl nervous; she knew, like anyone else, that attachments were forbidden. And yet, Qui-Gon sometimes said things that made her heart flutter. While she knew better than to lead him on, no amount of determination could get her past how she really felt; she loved him.

Shaking the thought out of her head, Tahl replaced it with one less dangerous to her status as a Jedi. She couldn't risk everything she had spent years working towards over something as stupid as a love affair.

"So, Qui-Gon?" Tahl started.

"Yes, Tahl?"

"Uh…" Tahl normally didn't find herself at a loss for words, but at this moment, she was just using speech as a distraction, "Do you know what age group we're working with?"

"No idea. I didn't really think about it. Dooku just said younglings."

Tahl almost scoffed. She hated how Qui-Gon could act like nothing happened, as if he didn't even care that he had basically confessed his love to her. Maybe she was just overreacting, but either way, Qui-Gon managed to seem so nonchalant it made her sick.

* * *

Leading Tahl into the crèche room that he had been assigned, he continued to use the same blasé expression he held whenever Dooku was around. Since Dooku never really cared what he was thinking, or how he reacted to things, Qui-Gon always found it easier to just pretend he didn't care. It was a skill that took a lot of practice; Qui-Gon was a far more passionate person than he ever led on. However, the Jedi Order didn't look for passion in their prospective students. Emotion was dangerous and it seemed to Qui-Gon that acting like he didn't have any made his life a lot easier. In a way, he speculated that in that sense, he was a lot like Dooku; the man seemed to not care about anything, and yet he was one of the most respected Jedi in the Order.

His thoughts were instantly disrupted when he heard the voice of a fellow colleague.

"Ah, my relief is here, guess it's time for me to go."

Just as the other padawan walked past Qui-Gon, he leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Just be glad they're sleeping."

The padawan seemed to be making a break for it as Qui-Gon looked up to see what looked like half-a-dozen infants laying in little basinets. The basinets were on small repulsorlifts that allowed them to hover in mid-air about 4 feet off the ground. Some of the basinets were rocking side to side, causing Qui-Gon to assume that was the technique the other padawan had used to get them to sleep in the first place. Noticing that one had begun to slow to a stop, Qui-Gon walked over to gently push it again, allowing the basinet to rock itself. At the moment, the task laid before him seemed simple enough, but one thought just kept going through Qui-Gon's head. _What happens when they wake up? _


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note: Okay, so it got to me. I felt bad that I was leaving you all at such a bad place, so I decided to write another chapter before I get assigned homework tomorrow. Once again, thank you to all who have been reviewing, and thank you so much for your support! Enjoy!

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

The room was silent, save for a few soft snores and the deep breathing of sleeping babies. The illumination from the ceiling lights was dimmed and the windows' blinds were drawn so that sunlight could not sneak into the nursery. Qui-Gon was surprised to see that it was a nursery when his master had specified a crèche, but he supposed that sleeping infants were easier to take care of than younglings. Simply happy to not have much to do at the moment, Qui-Gon was about to head over to a few chairs that had obviously been laid out for those taking shifts, just as Tahl came up behind him and swept his hand up into hers. Cradling his hand with both hands, Tahl hugged Qui-Gon's arm to her chest as her face brightened into the most beautiful expression he had ever seen. Her eyes were sparkling and a small smile crossed her face as she let out a gentle sigh.

"Oh, Qui. Look how cute they are!" she whispered.

Qui-Gon could hardly focus on anything but her. He had seen this look before, but he had never expected to see it on a Jedi. This was the face of a mother holding her newborn child. There was no other way to explain it.

"Can we have one, please?"

All the color drained from Qui-Gon's face, "Excuse me?"

Tahl seemed just as embarrassed as she instantly released his hand, leaving it cold and lingering for her touch. Qui-Gon couldn't help but frown, not just from her question, but he hated to ruin her happiness.

"It's just. They're so precious. You know what I meant."

A smile spread across Qui-Gon's face as he watched Tahl struggle to justify what she had said. She looked so innocent, like she did when they were kids. It brought back good memories.

"They aren't a puppy, Tahl. They aren't yours to have. These are future Jedi Knights you're cooing over."

Qui-Gon decided to take advantage of Tahl's moment of weakness to tease her, "You don't have to be here you know. If you have better things to be doing…"

"No!" Tahl cut him off, just a little bit too loudly.

Qui-Gon grinned before cringing. Just as he began to think this job was going to be easy, the closest baby began to cry.

"See? Is it so cute now?"

"No, no, no… I can fix this!" Tahl instantly rushed over and scooped the infant into her arms.

Silently observing, the way that Tahl cradled the baby in her arms made Qui-Gon smile. She looked as though she had been doing this her whole life, as if it were as simple as breathing. Unfortunately, before she could get the baby to calm down, another infant started crying as well. Shaking his head in dismay, Qui-Gon walked over to Tahl and nudged her gently.

"Looks like we've got another one. What now?"

Tahl looked up at him with a frustrated scowl. The mocking grin on his face made her want to punch him.

"I thought all younglings liked you, Tahl."

"They do, but…"

Suddenly Tahl frowned and kicked Qui-Gon in the knee. Qui-Gon grimaced for a second before focusing his attention on Tahl again.

"I deserved that."

As if on cue, the rest of the infants in the room began to wail. Qui-Gon and Tahl winced in unison followed by Tahls' exasperated sigh.

"Look what you did, Qui-Gon! This is all your fault!" Tahl yelled.

"My fault? How is this my fault?"

The infants only seemed to get more distressed with the level of intensity in the room as the two padawan's banter only increased.

"You're the one who dragged me here!"

"I didn't drag you here…"

"I came because I love you!"

* * *

Silence fell between the two as Tahl looked at Qui-Gon while she bit her lower lip. She had told her several times that she wouldn't get involved with Qui-Gon, and yet she tried to reason that he probably already knew how she felt. However, by the look on his face, she began to doubt herself. Qui-Gon appeared confused and almost enlightened. Tahl was seriously beginning to worry that her confession would ruin the friendship she had with Qui-Gon until she noticed that he was focused on something behind her, not on her. _Did he even hear what I said?_

Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, Qui-Gon shifted his gaze just enough to make eye contact with her.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

So, he hadn't heard her. Tahl felt as though her heart had been ripped out. Even though he didn't deny her, the fact that she had laid her heart out on the line, and he didn't even nibble the bait made her feel disappointed. She wanted to repeat herself, to make him hear what he needed to hear, but she knew better. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be and he would have heard her. She supposed that maybe this just wasn't the best time.

"Nothing, Qui-Gon."

"Okay."

His sudden ignorance of the upset tone in her voice surprised her, maybe he really didn't care after all. But that wasn't the Qui-Gon she knew. The Qui-Gon she knew picked up on everything, whether or not he chose to acknowledge it. Tahl didn't know what hurt more; the idea that Qui-Gon heard her and chose to ignore it, or the idea that she didn't know Qui-Gon the way she used to. There was one thing Tahl knew for sure; if this was the new Qui-Gon, she didn't like it.

"We should probably work on trying to figure out what's making every baby in here cry," Tahl suggested.

"Good idea. Except for one problem; not every baby in here is crying."

"What?"

"That baby over there," Qui-Gon pointed somewhere behind Tahl, "He's the only one who's not crying."

"How do you know it's a boy?" Tahl asked as she turned around to follow his gesture.

"I don't know," Qui-Gon shrugged, "I just know."

Tahl sighed, "Okay. Well, since he seems to be the least difficult, you go practice your lack of child care skills on him, while I work on the others."

"Sounds like a deal to me."

* * *

Instantly setting out to follow the plan, Qui-Gon walked over to the one baby who wasn't crying. Sure enough, the baby's crib stated he was a boy. _Obi-Wan Kenobi._

"Kenobi, eh? You seem like a decent enough kid."

Without hesitation, Qui-Gon picked up the baby from its basinet and held Obi-Wan out in front of him as if he were examining produce. Thinking of the one thing he remembered seeing other people do with babies, he lifted the infant up and inhaled, expecting to pull away in disgust. To his astonishment, the baby didn't smell like anything. The child only cooed when Qui-Gon held him out again.

"This one seems fine. What do I do, now?"

Tahl turned to face him from a table where she seemed to be concocting some sort of liquid before pouring it into a container Qui-Gon assumed to be a bottle.

"I have a few to feed over here, but I'm not sure I trust you to feed a baby. You just keep doing what you're doing and don't get into trouble."

Tahl headed back to feed one of the other infants as she picked it up from the crib. She looked so motherly the way she expertly held the child. In fact, she looked happy. Happy in a way Qui-Gon hadn't seen Tahl in a long time. While he hated to hurt Tahl, he had purposely ignored her when she confessed her love to him. It was just something that he knew they both couldn't afford to get caught up in, and while he wished that he could have told her how he felt back, he knew they were both better off the way he chose to handle it.

Qui-Gon looked back to Obi-Wan as the infant reached out his arms and acted as though he was trying to grab the air itself. Raising his eyebrow, Qui-Gon looked past Obi-Wan to Tahl, and then back to Obi-Wan who continued to clench and unclench his tiny pink fists.

"Tahl, I think it wants something."

"Qui-Gon, it's a he, not an it," she looked up from feeding the baby she had in her arms and tilted her head to the side, "I don't think he likes being held like that. Try cradling him in your arms."

Looking to copy what Tahl was doing, Qui-Gon shifted Obi-Wan to the crook of his arm where he let the infant lay.

Tahl looked up again before sighing, "Not like that," she said as she stood up and walked over to Qui-Gon. "Like this," she shifted the baby so that he was tucked into Qui-Gon's elbow more securely. "You have to support his head."

Mouthing a silent, "Oh", Qui-Gon looked down to Obi-Wan who seemed considerably more content.

* * *

Tahl continued to watch Qui-Gon as he held Obi-Wan. She didn't expect him to look like such a natural. Qui-Gon's green eyes always had a way of boring into your soul, and while even some adults felt uncomfortable under his gaze, Obi-Wan seemed to simply gaze right back. The boy had crystal blue eyes that held the same quality as Qui-Gon's, as if they, too, were searching for something most people didn't take the time to see. That's what she had always loved about Qui-Gon; those eyes saw everything from the depths of your soul, to a detail most others found insignificant.

After finishing the first infant, Tahl continued on to the second. Even though she felt as though she should have been paying more attention to the baby she held in her arms, she couldn't keep her eyes off Qui-gon, besides, she knew what she was doing. When she glanced up again, Obi-Wan had managed to clamp his hand onto Qui-Gon's padawan braid. The boy was gently pulling on the plait of hair as Qui-Gon fought to carefully remove it from his grasp, but as Tahl knew; Obi-Wan wasn't about to let go of his new found prize.

* * *

Becoming slightly frustrated, Qui-Gon tried to be a bit more forceful with the infant. _Maybe I can reason with him, _Qui-Gon thought.

"Hey, hey, hey, stop that. You can't have that… ow! No! That's attached to my head! Look, it's mine, you can't hold onto it forever. You'll get bored eventually!"

However, Obi-Wan wasn't hearing anything of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: I'm going to stop apologizing for taking forever to write this story and attempt to make up for it by updating more often. I have a really good direction with this now and I really hope you all like it. This is going to be way more dramatic than I had intended it, however it will give you more of a story, and it will give me more of a chance to depict how I believe Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would have been if they knew each other at this age. Don't be surprised if you read more upcoming stories like this. Thank you all for being patient! Here is a decently long chapter that you all deserve.

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

After countless attempts to get the infant to let go of his hair, Qui-Gon eventually settled with the fact that Obi-Wan wasn't going to let go any time soon. Qui-Gon couldn't have imagined that he would have an effect like this. Somehow, this boy was drawn to him in a way Qui-Gon didn't understand. It was if they were deeply connected. And he supposed that was true. In a lot of ways it reminded him of the connection he had with his master. Dooku and Qui-Gon didn't always see eye to eye, and yet they had a deeper acceptance of each other that couldn't be explained. He supposed that was why he could tolerate Dooku as much as he did. Even though he couldn't place his finger on it, Qui-Gon knew that Dooku had a reason as to why he chose Qui-Gon as his apprentice in the first place. Somehow the man saw something in Qui-Gon the others didn't. Whatever that was, Qui-Gon wondered if Dooku saw the same thing in himself.

As Qui-Gon continued to ponder about the unusual relationship he had with his master, he noticed that the baby in his arms had fallen asleep. His tiny fists had finally released Qui-Gon's padawan braid and yet the boy hadn't even noticed. It was if he was used to the idea of the boy clinging to him. And it wasn't the desperate kind of clinging either, but rather the silent expression of feeling safe. At the same time, Qui-Gon felt suddenly less needed. The boy in his arms was completely independent of him, and yet Qui-Gon wanted to hold him regardless. Something about how peaceful the boy appeared brought a smile to Qui-Gon's face. The padawan looked over to where he had last seen Tahl. She was in one of the rocking chairs across the rooms. Glancing back down to Obi-Wan, it only took a second before Qui-Gon glanced back up again and noticed that his friend had fallen asleep.

It was a sight that took his breath away.

Tahl was the ever stubborn spit fire that Qui-Gon had grown to love. And yet when she was asleep, she took on a whole new persona. This Tahl was quiet, at peace, a rare sight indeed. With the fiery passion that always seemed to light her eyes dimmed, and her face devoid of any sarcastic expression, she seemed perfect. Her hair always managed to curl in just the right way, right at the very ends which brushed her shoulders. Her eyes…

* * *

Her eyes snapped open as Tahl looked around, almost as if reassuring herself that she was really there. Almost instantly, she looked at Qui-Gon, who seemed to be looking at her. She began to wonder how long he had been watching her sleep. Looking up to a chrono display on the wall, she realized that it couldn't have been long because it had only been a few minutes since she last looked. Glancing back over to Qui-Gon, she noticed that Obi-Wan was still resting in his arms, and that all the other infants were sound asleep as well. Rubbing her eyes out of habit, Tahl signaled to Qui-Gon that it was time to leave.

Hesitently, Qui-Gon got up and tried to lay the baby down without waking him up. Obi-Wan hardly noticed as the padawan laid him in the vacant cradle. The boy clenched his fists momentarily, as if subconsciously grabbing something that wasn't there. Qui-Gon resisted the urge to touch one of the tiny hands as he mentally pulled himself away and walked over to Tahl. As if on cue, another padawan walked into the room and resumed watching over the sleeping younglings.

Without a single exchange of words, the two padawans parted their separate ways. They both knew that they had other duties to attend to and what had transpired between them changed absolutely nothing.

* * *

The next morning Qui-Gon trudged off to the crèche by himself with the promise that Tahl would come as soon as she could. His mind was caught around the absurd idea that he, or anyone else for that matter, could take care of six infants by him or herself. It gave him a whole new appreciation for crèche masters. It was a huge responsibility that should never be taken lightly. Even for those who had excellent skills with younglings, it seemed that the job would still be a burden on any one individual. Nevertheless, Qui-Gon went on with his duty, regardless of the sudden lump in his stomach. How dare Tahl have class this hour of the day? This was a sick and cruel punishment indeed. The only thing that kept him positive was the idea that he would get to see Obi-Wan again.

Somehow, that youngling managed to bring him joy. Obi-Wan didn't seem concerned with any of the problems in the world, and Qui-Gon supposed that was the nice thing about innocence. He tried to remember a time when he was so worry free, but he couldn't recall such a time. Then he remembered when he was in a crèche with Tahl. That was when they had first met. She was just as spunky back then as she was now except for the fact that it was more refined. Her personality suited her well. They had so many adventures when they were young. They used to pretend that they were Jedi knights, that they were invincible and without flaw. If life now could only be so simple, if only he knew back then how hard it is to be a Jedi. Back then life was carefree, before he understood his duty.

Qui-Gon shook his head, "If only life were so easy," he mumbled.

Quietly opening the door and signaling to the other padawan that they could leave, Qui-Gon looked around to see all the infants sleeping; all but Obi-Wan. He was an odd youngling indeed. Walking over to pick the youngling up, Qui-Gon paused as he noticed that something was off. The youngling looked extremely pale and his eyes were distant. Compared to yesterday Obi-Wan looked completely lifeless. If it weren't for Qui-Gon's connection to the Force, he wouldn't have noticed the youngling's apparent lack in the same area. It was as if the kid was not connected to the Force at all. He instantly picked the infant up and tucked him close to his chest as Qui-Gon began to panic. How did the other padawan not notice this youngling? Looking into his eyes, Obi-Wan gazed back as if there was nothing there. These were not the same blue eyes that Qui-Gon saw yesterday. These eyes looked lost.

Qui-Gon rotated the infant so that Obi-Wan could rest on his shoulder. Sprinting over to the nearest emergency com-link, Qui-Gon tried to calm himself down. Someone immediately answered with a pleasant tone.

"Jedi Temple Infirmery, how may I help you?"

"This is Padawan Jinn, calling from one of the crèches, I have an infant who seems to be unwell."

"Could you describe the youngling's symptoms, please?"

"Well," Qui-Gon paused, "He's very pale, his eyes seem dim and he has a very weak connection to the Force."

"We shall send you a healer immediately, Padawan."

The com-link clicked off and all Qui-Gon had to do was wait.


	6. Chapter 6

There was nothing else he could do. Qui-Gon had done everything that he could, and now he just felt lost. With a sickly infant in his arms and a request to stay where he was, Qui-Gon fought to stay calm. The infants in the room had obviously sensed Qui-Gon's stress because they all began to cry. He just wanted to set Obi-Wan down and bolt out of the room, run as far as he could and just escape it all. Everything seemed to be his fault and he didn't know how to fix it. For once in his life he was at a loss as to what he should do. Obi-Wan felt like he was fading. His little eyes were closed and his breathing grew softer by the minute. If only Qui-Gon could tell the youngling to hold on. Just a little bit longer and he would be okay. So Qui-Gon did the only thing that he knew how to do; he hummed.

He had no idea what he was humming, and he knew he wasn't very good, but none of that mattered to Qui-Gon. He just wanted it all to stop. Just when he thought that the echo of screams in his ears couldn't get any louder, it suddenly stopped. Turning around, Qui-Gon looked at all the infants as he stopped humming. Was that all it really took? A simple tune and they calmed down? Then it occurred to him that they were all Force sensitive. Of course! It all made sense now. Qui-Gon sighed as he realized that they were all sensing what he was feeling. No wonder they were always upset whenever he entered the room. He was always nervous. If they could sense that, it was obvious as to why they were so upset. Being as small and defenseless as they were, he could understand how scary it could be when the adult in the room was panicking. Qui-Gon was about to start humming when two healers came into the room.

"What do you need, Padawan?" the Twi-lek healer asked.

Qui-Gon extended his arms as he passed Obi-Wan over, "This youngling is very sick and I don't know what is wrong with him."

Tahl bolted into the room and stopped when she saw the healers, "Qui, what's wrong? I could sense your distress all the way from my class!"

"I don't know, Tahl. Could you watch the younglings for me? Obi-Wan needs help."

The worried look on her face made Qui-Gon's heart sink; she was just as scared as he was. Tahl nodded her head and took Qui-Gon's place as he followed the healers out of the room. It wasn't until they began to sprint that the padawan's fear returned. The other healer, a Mirialan, made a quick comment into a com-link that Qui-Gon didn't hear, but whatever it was, they both seemed very calm. He couldn't understand how they managed to do it; they always seemed so unaffected by the stresses around them. However, he supposed that they were used to it. They saw stuff like this all the time.

Once they got to the infirmary, a repulsor-lift gurney was already waiting for them. They set out stabilizing the infant the second they laid him down, but Obi-Wan seemed oblivious to it all. The poor youngling appeared to be sleeping, but Qui-Gon knew better. The infant was unconscious and barely holding on. The two healers had obviously called back up because a couple more healers came to whisk the infant away, and Qui-Gon began to follow until the Mirialan stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Padawan, but no unauthorized personnel beyond this point."

Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan disappeared down the hallway. He wanted to push past the healer and follow them, just to make sure the boy was okay. He knew he didn't have any medical training, but his heart ached knowing that the boy would be alone. He couldn't just abandon the youngling, and yet by the look on the healers face, he knew that he didn't have a choice.

"We'll let you know how he is when we can."

Qui-Gon suddenly felt a wave of calm come over him and he knew it was from the healers influence. He nodded as the healer placed a hand on his shoulder before going through the double doors. Another healer came over and offered him a seat in the waiting room. As Qui-Gon sat down, he curled up in the chair and let his mind wander. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this helpless. As a Jedi, he was used to being the one that everyone came to for help, and he was supposed to know the answers. It felt awful to be the one needing guidance. He wanted desperately to find counsel from his master, but Qui-Gon knew that he would be busy. Yoda would help him, but the wise old master always seemed to be helping someone. Qui-Gon didn't feel like disturbing the Jedi for something like this. Out of all the people he could seek counsel from, the one person he wanted was Tahl.

But Tahl was busy with the younglings. How he craved to run to her, to wrap his arms around her and just forget all of this. But Qui-Gon knew better. He couldn't leave Obi-Wan any more than he could ignore someone in need. All he wanted was a little relief; just a simple word of reassurance. He needed to hear that Obi-Wan was going to be okay. Just as he was beginning to feel hopeless, the Twi-lek healer returned. She sat down next to Qui-Gon and placed her hand on his knee and he felt that wave of calm again.

"Padawan, I was sent to tell you that the infant is stable, but he is not looking good. We've diagnosed that he has a failure to thrive. What this basically means is that he's given up and no longer has the will to live. He is very underweight and unresponsive. Right now we are just trying to keep him stable, but unless we find a way to improve his morale, his chances of survival are very low."

Qui-Gon's heart sank, "How did this happen?"

"We aren't sure, but normally it's because there is a lack of social connection. If the infant feels alone or unsupported, they may lose the will to thrive."

"Can I see him?"

The healer smiled sweetly, but there was sadness in her eyes, "Sure. Just, prepare yourself."

Qui-Gon nodded as she stood up and lead him to Obi-Wan.

The infant was in a room of other younglings in his age group. He was in an incubator with tubes and wires everywhere. Qui-Gon wanted to turn around and escape, but he knew that the infant needed him. He was all little Obi-Wan had. His eyes were closed and he was breathing slowly, but he seemed okay. There were tubes for oxygenation, intravenous catheters providing nutrition, and several other things Qui-Gon didn't recognize. The youngling looked so weak and vulnerable. Just the other day he had seemed fine, but Qui-Gon couldn't believe how sick the infant really was. How did he not notice? Qui-Gon had stared into that younglings eyes, felt a connection, and yet he had no idea this was lingering within Obi-Wan.


	7. Chapter 7

As Qui-Gon stood staring at helpless little Obi-Wan, he grew more uncomfortable. The room was completely silent, except for the heart monitors attached to the various younglings. The sound should have been reassuring since it was the easiest way to know that Obi-Wan was still alive, but somehow that wasn't enough. While Obi-Wan was breathing for now, Qui-Gon knew it was only a matter of time before the infant would simply give up and fade away. The feeling of hopelessness crushed Qui-Gon in a way that made it difficult to breathe. Each breath felt pained as the air flowed in and out of his lungs. Several moments passed before Qui-Gon realized the Twi-lek healer hadn't left the room yet. Since Qui-Gon was so focused on Obi-Wan, he had failed to notice that her presence had remained with him. While she had previously presented him with a feeling of comfort, Qui-Gon couldn't help but suddenly resent her. It irked Qui-Gon that she seemed so inactive. It seemed as though there had to be something more she could be doing besides just standing around, and it frustrated Qui-Gon that she wasn't focusing all of her attention on making Obi-Wan better.

Qui-Gon pulled his emotions back as he realized how irrational he was being. Obi-Wan was stable for now and Qui-Gon knew that the healers were doing everything they could. There was nothing more that could be done but wait and this was the first time Qui-Gon had found himself truly experiencing impatience. Qui-Gon faintly heard his masters' voice in his head, fragments of an old memory surfacing to his conscious mind as he remembered Dooku chiding the padawan's impatience in the past. Qui-Gon knew better than to let his emotions consume him, but it was so hard to stand back idly when there was a life at stake. More than anything else, Qui-Gon wanted to turn to the Twi-lek healer and demand that she fix the infant laying before him, but he knew better. It wasn't fair of him to believe that she should have all the solutions to every problem. She was doing the best she could, and Qui-Gon had to accept that. The only thing Qui-Gon could do with what little experience he had with this sort of situation was wait and hope for the best. That's when an idea presented itself to him, Qui-Gon only wished he would have thought of it earlier.

Qui-Gon turned to the Twi-lek healer, surprised and thankful that she hadn't scurried off to attend to something else, and asked if he could hold Obi-Wan.

The Twi-lek smiled, "I'm sure he'd like that".

She walked over to the small incubator and gently removed the Obi-Wan from his protective environment. Just as the healer was about to place the infant in the padawan's arms, Qui-Gon began to regret asking for anything. He worried that by pulling Obi-Wan away from the incubator that he was risking the infants' safety and suddenly felt anxious. Qui-Gon didn't want to make anything worse and he certainly didn't want to be the reason why Obi-Wan wouldn't get better. He began to fret that Obi-Wan would sense his anxiety and begin to cry like the other infants had done in the crèche, but as the boy was laid into his arms, Qui-Gon felt a wave of calm wash over him that didn't come from the healer. In this moment, with Obi-Wan in his arms, Qui-Gon couldn't feel any more at peace. Just as he was starting to think that he should have left hours ago, Qui-Gon realized that he did the right thing by staying. Obi-Wan needed him and that was a fact that Qui-Gon couldn't ignore.

"He's quite taken with you," the Twi-lek said softly. "This is the first time I've felt his life force so strongly."

Qui-Gon didn't know how to reply, so he simply whispered a "thank you" and with that the healer left the room. This was the first time Qui-Gon had been alone with an infant and yet he didn't feel concerned at all. Not only were there healers constantly present within the infirmary, but Qui-Gon felt a protective role settle within him. Qui-Gon wasn't just there keeping Obi-Wan company, the padawan instinctually felt that it was his job to keep the infant safe. There were other things that Qui-Gon was supposed to be doing while Dooku was gone, but suddenly, nothing else mattered. Qui-Gon was here with Obi-Wan and that was the only place he needed to be. Knowing that he would be settling down with Obi-Wan for a while, Qui-Gon decided that he needed to get more comfortable. While Qui-Gon had a fair amount of muscle built up from all of his physical training, it still surprised the padawan how heavy infants seemed to feel.

There was a rocking chair in the corner of the room, so Qui-Gon used the Force to call it to him. Unlike all the other times he had used the Force in the past, this action took hardly any of his focus. Qui-Gon discovered a newfound strength in the protective role he had for Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon had always struggled with finding his place in the universe, feeling nothing but uncertainty about what sort of Jedi he would become. Now all that Qui-Gon felt was an air of confidence as he commanded the chair to his side. The chair seemed to effortlessly glide over to him as he sat down and rested Obi-Wan against his chest. Despite all the tubes and wires that kept Obi-Wan somewhat hindered, the infant seemed so relaxed in Qui-Gon's arms. The padawan leaned back in the chair and yawned, he had completely lost track of time and according to the chronometer on the wall, it was well past midnight. It was only now that Qui-Gon noticed that the infirmary's lights had faded, synchronized with the natural light outside.

Qui-Gon tried his best to stay awake, but before long, he was fast asleep.

* * *

When Qui-Gon woke up, he sensed a familiar presence in the room. His muscles tensed and Qui-Gon almost jerked into an upright position out of habit.

"Careful, padawan. You don't want to wake the youngling."

Qui-Gon looked down and saw that Obi-Wan was still asleep in his arms and he realized that Dooku wasn't in the middle of a boring lecture. Returning his attention to his master, Qui-Gon adjusted his posture and sat up straight.

"Obi-Wan. His name is Obi-Wan."

"I see."

As the older man stood in front of the padawan, they both sat in the awkward silence that always seemed to consume them, but they both ignored it. Qui-Gon began to wonder when his master had returned, but he realized there was no point in asking so he focused his attention back to Obi-Wan. It wasn't long before Qui-Gon began to realize that his master had no intention of leaving any time soon. Instead of perpetuating the inevitable, Qui-Gon asked the question he knew that he was supposed to ask out of courtesy.

"How was your trip?"

"Fine. It appears as though you have been busy while I was gone."

"Yes," was all that Qui-Gon could manage to supply.

"According to the healers, it seems as though young Obi-Wan here was not expected to make it through the night. It appears as though you did something right."

Qui-Gon knew that was as close to a reassuring comment as Dooku could muster, so he smiled in return.

"It was the least I could do. Did they say anything about when he would be able to return to the crèche?"

"In a matter of days or so. Said something about wanting to keep an eye on him. They asked me if you could spare a few hours in your schedule a day to keep the infant company. I assume you could manage that?"

"Of course."

"Very well then," Dooku muttered. "I'll leave you to it, then."

And with that Dooku left.


	8. Chapter 8

_Tick…tick…tick…tick…pivot…step…step…step…step…pivot…_ After spending the last half hour pacing the hallway outside of the crèche, since the last padawan took over her shift, Tahl had found a steady rhythm that mimicked the chronometer just inside the doorway. Her mind buzzed with several emotions as she tried to concentrate enough to meditate through her distress, but she wasn't being very successful. It always seemed as though the Jedi training she had received over the years never worked when she needed it to, and if it did, it always seemed to be at the very last millisecond. It was so much easier to calm her mind when there wasn't much rattling around in the first place. That was the nice thing about her meditation sessions; it always helped that she usually walked in to them at peace. It was times like these when she needed those lessons to work, the times where it was hardest for her to concentrate, even if it seemed as though there was nothing going on from the outside. To everyone else around her, she may have just seemed deep in thought, maybe irritated about something, but there was no way they could possibly guess the sorts of things she was struggling with.

She needed to go talk to Qui-Gon, Tahl knew that for sure, but she had no idea how to go about it. Usually she entered conversation with a nonchalant ease to her words that made it seem as though she could really go either way as far as specifics were concerned. She tried to seem as though she didn't care, or put off a blunt attitude for things that left barely any room for argument, but this conversation was different. It was very rare that Tahl found herself in need of a serious sentimental conversation, and the thought of proposing one simply made her uncomfortable. It was so much easier just to pretend that she didn't care, especially as a Jedi who is supposed to remain unattached. Tahl had always wondered how many Jedi were truly apathetic, and how many forced themselves to fake it. All she knew was that faking apathy wasn't always as easy as Qui-Gon made it look. Though considering who he had as a master, it wasn't really surprising that he was so good at it. Tahl knew that it was none of her business to butt herself into the intricacies of Qui-Gon and Dooku's padawan/master relationship, but she began to wonder if they ever talked about anything that mattered.

Love was forbidden, that much Tahl knew, but what did Jedi do when they couldn't make their feelings go away? How did Qui-Gon seem so unaffected all the time? Maybe being raised by Dooku left Qui-Gon just as much of a shell as his master, but Tahl knew that couldn't be true. Despite the façade Qui-Gon wore all the time, Tahl knew him better than his lies. They grew up together and had best friends for as long as she could remember. She knew Qui-Gon better than anyone, maybe even better that Dooku, and there was no way he could be as callus as he had been the other day… or could he? What if everything Tahl had known about Qui-Gon had been just another lie when all this time she believed she knew the truth? Just when Tahl believed that she had been Qui-Gon's one and only confidant all the time, she began to doubt her role in his life. Maybe he shared his true self with no one, or maybe his true self was just as much of empty vessel as he seemed to be. There was really only one way to find out. Tahl had to confront him.

* * *

Forcing herself out of her clouded mess of a thought process, Tahl finally stepped outside of her pacing ground and set her feet towards the infirmary. If anything Tahl knew about Qui-Gon was right, he had to be the loyal friend she always remembered him to be, and that meant he would still be with Obi-Wan. She pushed her way through the more crowded halls of the Jedi Temple and made a bee line towards the infirmary. It had been a while since she had been to this part of the Temple because she was usually a careful individual. While she craved adventure she had an easier time staying safe than Qui-Gon did. There were a couple of times when Tahl had bullied Qui-Gon in to doing something they both knew wasn't safe, and each time she ended up escorting her friend to the infirmary. Qui-gon always played the safe side, and if it weren't for Tahl, he probably could have avoided going to the infirmary at all as a child. Tahl always felt guilty for the injuries Qui-Gon sustained from their adventures, but she always found a way to rationalize that guilt away. She liked to believe that she was simply helping Qui-Gon build character. So while Qui-Gon wasn't a stranger to the infirmary, Tahl was.

The double doors swooshed out of Tahl's way as she entered the infirmary. That same old sterile smell invaded Tahl's nostrils as she lifted one robe covered hand to staunch the scent. Using her sleeve as a mask, Tahl walked up to the main desk and asked for Obi-Wan's room. The healer on desk duty gave her a strange look and assumed that Tahl must have been some sort of germaphobe. Shaking his head, the healer pointed down a hall to their left and muttered a room number to accompany his non-verbal direction. Tahl nodded her head and turned down the hallway the healer had instructed and suddenly her heart began to beat harder. This was something she needed to do, and yet Tahl suddenly realized how much she didn't want to confront Qui-Gon about his feelings. In fact, this was the last thing Tahl wanted to do in this moment and she realized that it was taking all of her determination to keep from turning in the opposite direction. It was here and now that Tahl needed to have this conversation and she wasn't about to stop now.

* * *

The door to Obi-Wan's room was wide open as Tahl walked in. Qui-Gon looked up as soon as he heard her make her entrance, so engrossed in caring for Obi-Wan that he hadn't sensed her earlier. While the healers on staff tended to take responsibility for most of Obi-Wan's needs, it was still Qui-Gon's job to make sure that the infant was still thriving. It was not an easy task because Obi-Wan always seemed to need attention. Every time that Qui-Gon needed to sneak away to take care of personal business, Obi-Wan would begin to cry and Qui-Gon would have to call for assistance. While Obi-Wan preferred Qui-Gon's company, the infant always needed someone to hold him in their arms. There simply wasn't enough healers in the Temple to constantly provide Obi-Wan with the attention he needed, and Qui-Gon already seemed to be the most qualified for the job. If the Jedi Counsel wasn't already up to their necks in other business, Qui-Gon believed that they would have found a more efficient way to monitor Obi-Wan's needs in a way that didn't create such a strong attachment.

It was a relief when Tahl walked through the door since it had been a while since the last healer had checked up on the two. It wasn't until Qui-Gon sensed Tahl's stress that his morale began to lower since he had never sensed Tahl so upset. He couldn't quite pick up on exactly what she was feeling because this was a new side of her that Qui-Gon hadn't seen before. For once in her life, Tahl seemed to have something serious on her mind, something that obviously wasn't going to be eased away with laughter, and that made Qui-Gon nervous. Just as he was about to confront her about what she was feeling, Tahl opened her mouth.

"Qui-Gon, I love you, and this time you're going to listen to me."


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note: Hey guys! I know it's been a long time, but here it is! This story has been quite a challenge to write, mostly since I've been so busy with college and other life things, but also because all of these characters are so complex! I started out with such a small idea of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan interacting to a deep story about choices, love and life. I keep finding ways to tie more details into the story and I hope you guys have been enjoying this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! I'm going to try to get better at updating more often, so please forgive me for my slowness to update. Please leave comments to let me know what you guys think! Here you go! Part 9!

- Aiden Skywalker

* * *

Suddenly and quite painfully, a large knot formed in Qui-Gon's stomach. While the truth behind Tahl's admission came to no surprise, the way she went about it was certainly unsettling. Qui-Gon wasn't sure whether to thank or curse his friend for her abruptness, for in any other situation he would have found it comforting. Blunt and sarcastic Tahl was nothing new. Blunt and serious Tahl was frightening. The only way Qui-Gon knew how to react in a situation like this was to throw on a mask of nonchalance. Heated conversations in the middle of public places were something Qui-Gon tried to avoid, so he needed to keep calm.

"Nice to see you as well, Tahl. But as you can see, I have my hands full at the moment. Do you think that we could put this conversation on hold for another time and place?"

Qui-Gon noticed a visible shift of emotion in Tahl's eyes. What seemed like a mixture of trepid determination burning in his friend's gaze quickly changed to anger.

"No, Qui-Gon. It can't. You can't keep avoiding this! Our feelings are important Qui-Gon. We can't keep ignoring them the same way we ignore everything else! Our whole lives we've shooed away our emotions as if they were mildly annoying insects, but you can't just flick away a bantha! Sooner or later we're going to have to confront everything we've been running from and that day is today!"

Qui-Gon sighed, "Okay then. Today. But right now really isn't the best time."

"Oh really, Qui-Gon? Then when would be a better time for you? Because 'never' isn't an option."

"I'm not trying to be difficult here, Tahl. I just don't think having this conversation in the infirmary, infront of Obi-Wan, where someone could walk in any second is really the best idea," Qui-Gon chided.

The fire in Tahl's eyes died down as soon as she realized that Qui-Gon was right. What had she been thinking? This was a terrible idea! But she had to get Qui-Gon's attention somehow and now that she got it, she could relax a little. The hard part was over, right? Hopefully the two friends could have a serious conversation like mature adults, but Tahl knew it would be difficult since neither she nor Qui-Gon knew how to have a conversation like that. But she knew deep down how critical this conversation would be to their relationship. And now that her emotions were on the line, there was no going back now.

"I was going to take a break here in an hour or so. Can we meet at your place then?" Qui-Gon offered.

Tahl's stomach dropped. An hour? How could she sit and wait with her thoughts for an hour? But it was better than nothing.

Tahl's expression softened for a moment, "Sure, Qui." Then she stiffened, "An hour. My place. Don't be late."

And with that she turned and left the room.

* * *

Qui-Gon released a deep sigh of relief as soon as he sensed Tahl was out of the infirmary. Throughout the entirety of their friendship, Tahl had never acted so impulsively. A Jedi with the inability to calm their mind was dangerous; Tahl with the inability to calm her mind was deadly. She had always had a flare of emotion that Qui-Gon noticed flowing through the very fiber of her being. She had an ever-present attitude that Qui-Gon learned to find endearing, but occasionally Tahl's emotions got the better of her and they made her reckless. When they were younglings, Tahl would always pressure Qui-Gon to do things he knew were dangerous, but he followed her because he was fond of her. Dooku would always scold him for doing so, but Qui-Gon never listened. He never let on to how he felt, but Qui-Gon had fallen in love with Tahl since the first time they had met. Qui-Gon loved the fact that she was everything he wasn't, but sometimes their differences made him nervous. Tahl was a loyal friend, but Qui-Gon new that if she ever felt for him the way he felt for her that a rift would form between them that would change their friendship forever.

The way they chose to handle their emotions was the greatest difference between Qui-Gon and Tahl. A part of Qui-Gon would always have feelings for his best friend, and yet he chose to separate himself from the very emotion that would tear them apart. Qui-Gon knew how to love Tahl in a way that wouldn't affect their relationship, but he also knew that Tahl wouldn't be able to do the same. Qui-Gon's heart suddenly dropped as soon as he realized that Tahl's errant emotions and obvious lack of control could define their relationship as they both knew it. A wave of mixed emotion consumed Qui-Gon as he tried to sort through his thoughts and feelings. Part of him felt angry; angry with Tahl for potentially ruining their friendship because she couldn't control herself. Part of him was sad; Qui-Gon didn't want their friendship to end being of something that should be irrelevant. Jedi weren't supposed to love and Qui-Gon believed there was a very good reason for that. Love was messy and he wasn't about to give up the lifestyle he worked so hard to make for himself just to indulge in emotions he had trained himself to control a long time ago.

At this point, Qui-Gon simply found himself frustrated because he couldn't think of a single way to make this situation easier. There wasn't a quick fix to solve Qui-Gon's problem and for the first time in his life, he was at a loss for an answer. Qui-Gon admittedly was not one to always have the right answer, but he always had something compelling to provide to the situation. Qui-Gon liked being prepared and tried his best to never get caught off guard, and if he was, he didn't ever show it. In times of trouble, Qui-Gon knew there was only one solution. He needed to speak with his master.

* * *

Before Qui-Gon could raise his hand to knock on his master's door, it swished open on it's own. Qui-Gon stood patiently outside the doorway while waiting for Dooku to receive him. After a quick moment, Dooku bid Qui-Gon to enter from his study. Qui-Gon paused in the doorway to Dooku's study just as his master closed the holocron he had been studying. A bit of natural curiousity allowed Qui-Gon to absently wonder what his master had been reading, but he didn't bother asking. Instead, Qui-Gon went straight to the point.

"Master, I have a problem." Dooku raised an eyebrow. "Tahl has feelings for me."

"I know."

This was news to Qui-Gon, though honestly he wasn't very surprised. Dooku always seemed to know everything.

"So, what do I do?"

Dooku frowned, "I thought I had trained you better. When are you going to stop relying on others to give you the answers to questions you should be asking yourself?"

Dooku shook his head before picking the holocron back up and raising his hand to telekinetically open the front door, effectively dismissing his padawan.

Qui-Gon frowned as he paused before turning to leave. He knew better than to try and prod Dooku for a more direct answer. Leave it to his master to leave him hanging with some sort of cryptic answer. Qui-Gon left Dooku's quarters with the same sense of frustration he held when he had arrived. His trip had been fruitless and the only other option he had was to confront Tahl, but he wasn't prepared and refused to walk into an argument empty handed. So Qui-Gon chose to do the only thing he felt comfortable with. Qui-Gon decided to seek solace with Obi-Wan.


End file.
